| GB | Almost Drooled | 48
After the recent incident, Yu Bai no longer had the mood to watch the ceremony. Huo Duo'er didn't worship the Fire God either and had only come to accompany him.
At this moment, neither of them spoke. Yu Bai sat on Huo Duo'er's lap, lost in thought.
After a long while, he finally opened up to the other.
Through the shadows of the trees, the clouds seemed particularly low. He gazed at the slowly drifting clouds, his thoughts floating along with them, his voice soft.
"Huo Duo'er, the old priest looks very much like a relative of mine, someone who is very important to me."
"Is it the grandfather you mentioned earlier, Bai?"
"Yes..."
"Bai, once you've recovered, I'll take you to find them."
Yu Bai curved his lips slightly: "We won't find them."
Huo Duo'er was puzzled: "Why?"
Could it be that Bai really came from the distant east, a place where orcs seem unable to set foot?
If Bai truly came from the east, even if Huo Duo'er had never been there, he wouldn't give up on helping his mate find his family.
Yu Bai patted Huo Duo'er's shoulder: "What about you? Have you ever thought about finding your own people?"
Considering that the giant tribe's people might not be easy to find, he added: "If you need to travel far, I don't mind. You can take me with you, or I can wait at home. Just don't leave without saying goodbye."
His voice grew softer, tinged with shyness, but also revealing determination.
"We are already mates. Since we've decided to live well together, the rules we set before... they don't matter as much now..."
Yu Bai's face flushed with shame. It was he who had set those rules initially, and now it was he who wanted to live with the other and build a life together as mates.
His soft fingertips unconsciously scratched Huo Duo'er's nape a few times, not painful, just a bit of a bluff, like a plea or a coquettish gesture.
When Yu Bai was troubled or had a request, he would unconsciously make such gestures. Huo Duo'er enjoyed it, though he didn't show it on his face, he was very pleased inside.
"Bai, you are my mate. No matter what happens, we will be together."
Yu Bai smiled softly: "Yeah!"
After resting on Huo Duo'er's lap for a while, Yu Bai actively jumped down.
"Last time, A’Li said he found a kind of crying fruit around Fire God Mountain. Eating it makes your eyes and mouth very uncomfortable, and you need to drink a lot of water. I suspect it's chili. Spring is almost over, and there should be a lot of things growing in the mountains. Take me around to see, maybe we can find something useful."
Not wanting to come in vain, Yu Bai explained his plan to Huo Duo'er, who quickly set off with him.
Before leaving, a black sheep female carrying a lamb followed them.
Yu Bai leaned on Huo Duo'er's shoulder, signaling him to wait, and gave the black sheep female a friendly, shy smile.
"Is there anything else?"
The female sheep: "Thank you for saving my lamb. If you ever need any help, just let me know!"
Earlier, with the high priest present, the female sheep didn't dare to speak. Seeing Yu Bai walking further away, she gritted her teeth and followed her heart to catch up.
After speaking, she felt much relieved.
Yu Bai nodded, not taking it to heart, but still agreed.
The black sheep female: "My name is Mian"
Then, she patted the lamb in her arms: "This is Lan."
"My name is Yu Bai, you can call me Bai."
He added: "He is my mate, Huo Duo'er."
Mian didn't dare to look up at the imposing giant, and only after Yu Bai's figure disappeared did she leave, holding the young cub in her arms.
Mian didn't get the chance to worship the Fire God with the young beast. Although she felt a bit uneasy, she decided... not to worship this year.
The Fire God didn't save her cub; it was that sub-female named Yu Bai who saved Lan.
—
The mountain range stretched endlessly, with new green hues at the foot and a slight whiteness at the peak.
Huo Duo'er avoided the area infested with poisonous insects, taking a detour. Occasionally, small animals would jump out, glance at them, and quickly hop away.
Yu Bai, with his arms around the orc's neck, gradually noticed the peculiar scenery along the way.
"Huo Duo'er, have you been here before?"
Huo Duo'er shook his head.
Yu Bai: "But you seem very familiar with the surroundings."
Huo Duo'er explained to him.
The giants, descendants of the Mountain God, are naturally suited to roam the mountains.
Where water sources are distributed, where fierce beasts roam—these common knowledge are stored in his mind.
As his abilities awaken, the stronger his power, the more knowledge he inherits.
Yu Bai marveled: "Are all giants like you?"
Huo Duo'er still shook his head.
While chatting, the orc's speed didn't slow down at all.
Huo Duo'er carried Yu Bai through the mountains and forests. Most orcs would take nearly a day to cover the distance, but they managed it in half a day.
Yu Bai observed the surroundings. Besides some wild berries, he also found something resembling scallions and garlic in the grass.
The reason it was only a resemblance was that they grew luxuriantly, the shortest being thigh-high. If it weren't for the familiar, pungent smell when the leaves were crushed, Yu Bai would have mistaken them for wild shrubs and grass, not daring to associate them with the spices in his memory.
He and Huo Duo'er wrapped a bundle of wild scallions and garlic in mud, temporarily weaving a basket with vines to store the collected spices.
Yu Bai suppressed his excitement: "I didn't expect such a rich harvest today. So, there are spices around the tribe after all."
According to the reactions of the orcs in the tribe of A’Li and the tribe, they dislike pungent-smelling things, so they never paid attention to these plants, even avoiding them if possible.
Huo Duo'er showed a slight smile: "Happy?"
"Mm~" Yu Bai picked up a pink flower that had just been blown down by the wind, cradling it in his palm. When Huo Duo'er picked him up again, he placed the pink flower on the orc's head.
Huo Duo'er: "..."
Yu Bai's deliberately pursed lips curved into a smile. A pink flower on a fierce man—it looked good.
Seeing him happy, Huo Duo'er didn't remove the flower from his head.
If any orcs passed by, they would surely rub their eyes and stare at them.
After all, a giant orc with a stern face, sporting a small pink flower, carried his mate all the way.
—
From the shade of the layered trees, standing around the mountainside, Huo Duo'er pointed downward: "There's a tribe at the foot of the mountain."
It was called a tribe, but it was very small, more like a gathering place for a clan.
Within the visible range, there were only five houses made of wood and bark. The bark blended into the forest, and if it weren't for Huo Duo'er's instinctive detour and careful search, they might not have found this place, nor discovered traces of life here.
They guessed there were no more than twenty orcs below.
"Bai, do you want to go down?"
Yu Bai hesitated: "Will it cause trouble for you?"
"No."
As long as it didn't cause trouble, Yu Bai was naturally willing to explore the surroundings.
This place closely resembled the environment A’Li had described, where the fruits grew. If there were any unexpected gains, that would be even better.
Huo Duo'er continued to carry him as they searched for a path, and soon they discovered a man-made trail leading down the mountain.
The wild grass near the trail had been cleared, and not far away, under a tree, there was a damaged spider web with a few insects trapped in it, still struggling but not yet dead.
Yu Bai had applied herbal juice beforehand, and with Huo Duo'er deliberately taking detours, they managed to avoid being bitten along the way.
As soon as they reached the foot of the mountain, two orcs emerged from a wooden cabin on the right.
Then, orcs appeared from several other nearby houses.
Yu Bai guessed they were orcs from the tribe, a mix of Sheep and Horned Ox clans. Moreover, he noticed a common trait among these five male orcs: they all bore irreversible injuries—broken horns, missing hands, or limping legs. In short, they were all disabled male orcs.
Their faces were filled with wariness, clearly unwelcoming to other orcs approaching.
After a moment of mutual scrutiny, the nearest sheep male orc relaxed his guard slightly and frowned, asking, "Giant?"
Few orcs had ever seen giants, but such distinct and unique features were unmistakable once seen.
Perhaps because Yu Bai and Huo Duo'er were not orcs from the tribe, and the orcs always held a certain fear for the Mountain God clan.
The orc who spoke first asked again, "What are you doing here?"
Huo Duo'er replied coldly, "Just wandering around."
Yu Bai quickly added, "We mean no harm."
The disabled orcs were surprised to find that the orc in the giant's arms was actually a very weak sub-female. Their hostility gradually softened.
Yu Bai looked around, and his gaze suddenly fell on the corner of the cabin's eaves.
Hanging from the eaves were strings of dried, reddish items.
He exclaimed, "Chili peppers?!"
Seeing his mate’s excitement, Huo Duo'er knew they had found the right place.
Yu Bai quietly leaned close to Huo Duo'er's ear and whispered, "I want them."
Then, somewhat shyly, he added, "Can you take me over there?"
If left to negotiate alone with these dozen or so orcs, Yu Bai didn't yet have the courage. He could only place his hopes on Huo Duo'er.
Huo Duo'er had already carefully observed the surroundings and said in a low voice, "They have old injuries. We could offer to treat them in exchange."
These orcs were wary of giants, but they held almost no hostility or wariness toward Yu Bai, a sub-female orc who posed no threat and was of low status and weak.
Huo Duo'er said, "My mate can treat injuries. If you're willing, he can examine you."
A few of the disabled male orcs were reluctant, but when they caught the gaze of their females, their resolve wavered.
The male orcs were not afraid of their old injuries, but their children...
The male orc who had spoken first said, "My child fell from halfway up the mountain while trying to escape a beast during a hunt. Can you take a look at him?"
Yu Bai nodded.
Huo Duo'er carried him over a few stones to the front of the cabin, then carefully placed Yu Bai on a stone platform.
The orcs looked down at him.
Hmm, this sub-female was only slightly taller than their orc child. Such a small sub-female—was he really the giant's mate?
Could he have been abducted from somewhere?
The female called out to the door, and an orc child with grayish-white ram horns emerged from inside.
The young orc from the tribe was a bit intimidated by the giant clan. His gaze shifted and landed on the sub-female standing beside him, who wasn't much taller than himself. He was momentarily stunned, and suddenly, his fear lessened.
It was the first time he had seen such a beautiful orc.
Yu Bai automatically treated the young orc as a peer. Seeing that the other's shoulder was injured, the tension in his heart eased a bit.
Huo Duo'er bent slightly, his large hand gently caressing the soft hair on his mate’s head.
"Can you see it?"
Yu Bai nodded lightly.
His peripheral vision caught a corner of the eaves, and upon closer inspection, it was indeed dried chili peppers, each as thick as two or three of his fingers.
He revealed a friendly yet slightly reserved smile, his lips a pale red. The sunlight seemed to favor him especially, falling on his brows and eyes. His dark, moist pupils were filled with light, and the few orcs who didn’t see his eyes were not captivated.
The tribe orc was momentarily dazed and said, "Let's go inside to take a look."
After speaking, the young orc who entered the house first secretly glanced back, almost tripping while looking at Yu Bai.
Huo Duo'er narrowed his eyes slightly.
The young orc from the tribe was so captivated by his mate that he almost drooled, which made Huo Duo'er feel a bit displeased.
If the other party hadn't been a young orc, Huo Duo'er would have already hung him up to teach him a lesson.
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